Coin360 weekly crypto news, cryptocurrency updates, market movement

Coin360 weekly crypto news

Coin360 Weekly Dispatch | Crypto Market Updates & Highlights | January 18 - 24, 2026

Crypto firms are accelerating toward public markets as regulatory clarity improves and investor appetite returns. This weekly IPO recap covers BitGo’s NYSE debut, Ledger’s potential multibillion-dollar U.S. listing, and CertiK’s public market ambitions, highlighting how custody and security are becoming investable narratives across global crypto infrastructure players and platforms.<hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><h2>BitGo IPO Raises $213 Million, Valued at $2.2 Billion on NYSE Debut</h2>On January 22, 2026, BitGo&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/bitgo-ipo-raises-213m-nyse-valuation-2-2b">completed</a> its IPO, pricing shares at $18 and raising approximately $213 million, valuing the crypto custody firm at around $2.2 billion. This listing marked one of the first significant crypto-related entries in U.S. equity markets for the year. Shares began trading on the NYSE under the ticker BTGO, experiencing notable volatility, peaking at $24.50 before closing at $18.49, a 2.7% increase. BitGo focuses on regulated custody and service for institutional clients, with a fee-based revenue model, reflecting investor interest in compliant crypto infrastructure amid evolving regulatory landscapes.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Ledger Plans U.S. IPO Over $4 Billion Amid Rising Crypto Custody Demand</h2>Ledger, a French crypto hardware&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a> manufacturer, is exploring a&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/ledger-us-ipo-4b-valuation-wall-street-banks">U.S. IPO</a> that could exceed a $4 billion valuation, with Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and Barclays advising on the listing. This exploration follows BitGo’s recent NYSE debut, which raised up to $213 million at nearly $2 billion. Ledger's previous valuation was $1.5 billion in 2023. The IPO could occur as early as 2026, influenced by increased demand for self-custody crypto solutions. The current U.S. regulatory environment is perceived as favorable, encouraging crypto firms to pursue public listings amid a renewed investor appetite for digital asset infrastructure.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>CertiK Plans IPO at $2 Billion Valuation, Aiming to be First Public Web3 Cybersecurity Firm</h2>CertiK, a cybersecurity firm focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/web3-companies-projects">Web3</a>, is eyeing an initial public offering (IPO) aimed at achieving a $2 billion valuation. Co-founder Ronghui Gu revealed that while a concrete IPO plan is not finalized, it remains a strategic goal. CertiK, founded in 2018 and backed by&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/binance">Binance</a>, has previously raised $88 million in a Series B3 round, partnering with major investors like Insight Partners and Tiger Global. The firm audits blockchain smart contracts, servicing over 5,000 clients and securing approximately $600 billion in assets. Despite facing controversies, CertiK aims to become the first public Web3 cybersecurity company.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Crypto IPO momentum reframes custody and security as investable assets

Weekly Crypto IPO Recap: BitGo’s NYSE Debut, Ledger’s U.S. Listing Plans, and CertiK’s Public Market Push

This weekly briefing decodes how crypto is being rewritten inside Washington. From market-structure fights and stablecoin turf wars to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> reserves, agency power shifts, and state-level experiments, the U.S. is no longer debating crypto’s existence—it’s negotiating control, jurisdiction, and long-term strategy across the entire digital asset stack.<hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><h2>Trump Aims to Sign Crypto Market Structure Bill Amid Stablecoin Disputes</h2>President Trump aims to sign a comprehensive cryptocurrency market structure bill soon, following a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The bill faces division, particularly over the treatment of stablecoin rewards, with banks opposing the GENIUS law while crypto firms advocate for competition.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a> withdrew support, delaying Senate Banking Committee activities. Key stakeholders, including&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/xrp-xrp">Ripple</a> and the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets, urge rapid passage, emphasizing the need for a clear regulatory framework. The Senate Agriculture Committee is set to discuss amendments on January 27, while the Banking Committee's hearing remains unscheduled.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>U.S. Senate Pushes Crypto Market Structure Bill With Ethics Ban, Faces Political Resistance</h2>The Senate Agriculture Committee&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/senate-agriculture-crypto-bill-coinbase-withdrawal">released</a> its version of a sweeping U.S. crypto market structure bill on January 22, 2026, aiming to define regulatory jurisdiction between the CFTC and SEC, establish digital asset classifications, and create a federal framework for spot and derivatives markets, but it lacks sufficient Democratic support, according to observers. Ahead of a markup hearing,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/hearings/business-meeting-01-27-2026">amendments</a> were filed on January 23, 2026, including Sen. Michael Bennet’s “Digital Asset Ethics Act,” which would ban the president, vice president, and lawmakers from certain crypto transactions, plus additional ethics and conflict-of-interest measures tied to political figures’ digital asset exposure.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>U.S. Treasury Locks In Bitcoin Strategy, Halts Seized BTC Sales to Build Strategic Reserve</h2>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on January 21, 2026 that the U.S. will position itself as a global crypto leader while formalizing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, ending the long-standing practice of selling seized&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a>. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Bessent confirmed President Trump’s executive order treats government-held bitcoin as a strategic, budget-neutral sovereign asset, comparable to a long-term store of value. All confiscated bitcoin will now flow into the reserve, halting U.S. Marshals Service auctions. Treasury estimates holdings exceed 200,000 BTC, signaling a structural shift in fiscal and digital-asset policy.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>CFTC and SEC to Hold Joint Meeting on Crypto Amid Congressional Delays</h2>On January 27, 2026, the CFTC and SEC will hold a joint meeting from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET at CFTC headquarters in Washington, D.C. Amid Congress delaying crypto legislation, this meeting underscores crypto’s significance in the financial landscape. While no new regulations or token approvals will be made, the coordination between these agencies aims to clarify the regulatory environment. Key figures like Michael Selig and Paul Atkins may discuss boundaries, reinforcing the notion that crypto is integrating into mainstream finance. The meeting indicates a proactive approach to regulation, paving the way for potential future legislation.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Kansas Proposes Bitcoin Reserve Fund Using Unclaimed Digital Assets</h2>Kansas lawmakers are&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/kansas-bitcoin-digital-assets-reserve-unclaimed-property-bill">considering</a> legislation to create a Bitcoin and digital assets reserve funded by unclaimed digital property rather than taxpayer money. Introduced by Senator Craig Bowser, Senate Bill 352 would use abandoned crypto,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/airdrop">airdrops</a>, and staking rewards to build the reserve, explicitly avoiding direct Bitcoin purchases. The bill aims to define terms related to digital assets and streamline their management under Kansas' unclaimed property laws. Ten percent of any deposits will go to the general fund, while the reserve will retain the assets for long-term appreciation. This proposal aligns with broader trends in digital asset management at both state and federal levels.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Oklahoma Bill Allows State Employees and Vendors to Receive Payments in Bitcoin</h2>Oklahoma's Senate Bill 2064, introduced by Senator Dusty Deevers, aims to enable state employees and vendors to receive payments in Bitcoin, set to take effect in November 2026 if approved. The bill establishes Bitcoin as a financial instrument without recognizing it as legal tender, allowing individuals to choose between Bitcoin and USD for payments. Payments will be based on market value, with deposits into self-hosted or third-party wallets. It also streamlines regulations for crypto businesses. The Oklahoma State Treasurer will select a crypto firm for processing by January 1, 2027, and provide guidance on tax treatment of digital assets.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>SEC Dismisses Gemini Earn Case, Citing Full Customer Restitution</h2>The SEC has dismissed its civil enforcement action against&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/exchange/table">Gemini</a> Trust Company, marking the closure of a significant case related to the collapse of crypto yield products in 2022. The dismissal, filed on January 23, 2026, was based on the complete restitution of customer crypto assets to Gemini Earn investors and does not allow the SEC to refile the claims. While this outcome emphasizes restitution in enforcement resolutions, it does not set a legal precedent for crypto yield products or indicate regulatory leniency. The case has concluded after nearly three years, highlighting ongoing regulatory scrutiny in the crypto sector.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Caroline Ellison Released Early from Custody After Cooperation in FTX Case</h2>Caroline Ellison has been released from U.S. federal custody after serving approximately 14 months of a originally two-year sentence related to the&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ftx-token-ftt">FTX</a> collapse. Her release, confirmed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons on January 22, 2026, followed significant cooperation with prosecutors, making her a key witness against Sam Bankman-Fried. Ellison received a reduced sentence due to good conduct and compliance while incarcerated. Despite her freedom, she faces ongoing legal restrictions, including a decade-long ban from executive roles and three years of federal supervision, alongside an $11 billion asset forfeiture agreement reflecting FTX-related losses.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>DOJ Drops OpenSea Insider Trading Case After Appeals Court Overturns Conviction</h2>The DOJ dropped its insider trading case against former OpenSea manager Nathaniel Chastain after an appeals court found jury instructions flawed, allowing conviction based on ethical violations instead of tangible theft. Chastain, charged in June 2022 for exploiting confidential information to profit from&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/non-fungible-tokens">NFTs</a>, had served three months in prison and forfeited 15.98&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">ETH</a>. The appeals court ruled that featured&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/nft">NFT</a> data lacked commercial value under federal law. This case reflects shifting federal crypto enforcement, with a 60% decline in SEC actions in 2025. The global NFT&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> currently stands at $2.56 billion, a significant drop from its peak of $16.82 billion in April 2022.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Digital asset strategy enters uncertain phase in U.S. crypto policy

Washington in Focus: Weekly Briefing on U.S. Crypto Power, Policy, and Regulation

<h2>Regulatory Filings, Tokenized Equities Revival, and ETF Momentum Converge Around Binance</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Binance applied for a MiCA license in Greece with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission ahead of the June 30 EU transition cutoff.</li><li>The exchange confirmed plans to explore reintroducing tokenized stock offerings, four years after halting them.</li><li>Grayscale filed an S-1 with the SEC to launch a spot BNB ETF, expanding its altcoin ETF strategy.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/review/binance">Binance</a> submitted an application for a Markets in Crypto-Assets license in Greece to the Hellenic Capital Market Commission on January 23, positioning the country as a potential regulatory foothold ahead of the European Union’s MiCA enforcement deadline. The filing comes as crypto firms seek authorization to continue operating across the bloc once national transition periods expire. A Binance spokesperson said the exchange is “committed to working closely with the Hellenic Capital Market Commission” and added that MiCA “provides much-needed regulatory clarity and stronger protections for users,” according to a statement published the same day.The Greek application follows regulatory pressure elsewhere in the EU. France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers said on January 13 that Binance was among ninety crypto firms operating without a MiCA license despite being registered under national frameworks. French authorities warned that the transition period for such registrations ends on June 30, after which non-licensed entities must halt operations in the country. Data from the European Securities and Markets Authority show that, as of mid-January, Greece had not issued any MiCA licenses to crypto-asset service providers, while Germany had approved forty-three, the Netherlands twenty-two, and France eleven.Binance remains the world’s largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange by volume, averaging about $11.9 billion in daily trading activity, according to figures cited in the regulatory coverage. The scale of its operations has placed the company at the center of MiCA’s rollout, which applies across all twenty-seven EU member states. Under the regulation, firms must obtain authorization in at least one member state to passport services throughout the bloc once the framework is fully enforced.Parallel to its regulatory push in Europe, Binance confirmed it is exploring a return to tokenized stock offerings, a product line it discontinued in 2021. The exchange previously launched tokenized shares in April of that year tied to companies including Tesla,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a>, Strategy, Apple, and Microsoft, before suspending the service following scrutiny from regulators in Germany and the United Kingdom. In its recent statement, Binance said “exploring the potential to offer tokenized equities is a natural next step,” linking the initiative to broader work on real-world assets and regulated products settled in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>.Separate reporting indicated that Binance is also examining a broader re-entry into stock trading roughly four years after its earlier withdrawal. The renewed interest comes as crypto platforms increasingly move toward integrated investment models that combine digital assets with traditional financial instruments. The shift coincides with developments in legacy markets, including plans by major U.S. exchange operators to build blockchain-based infrastructure for tokenized securities with round-the-clock trading and on-chain settlement.Attention around Binance’s ecosystem has also intensified in U.S. capital markets. Grayscale Investments filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 23 seeking approval for a spot&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/binance-coin-bnb">Binance Coin</a> exchange-traded fund. The proposed product, expected to trade under the ticker GBNB on Nasdaq, would offer exposure to the token’s spot price and forms part of Grayscale’s expanding lineup of altcoin investment vehicles. The filing names Coinbase as prime broker and Coinbase Custody as custodian, and does not include staking features amid ongoing regulatory debates.The&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/binance-coin-bnb">BNB</a> ETF filing follows similar moves by other asset managers and comes as regulators continue to assess whether certain crypto assets fall under securities law. Grayscale’s application adds to a growing list of proposed funds tracking assets beyond bitcoin and ether, extending institutional interest into tokens closely associated with major trading platforms.At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Binance co-founder Changpeng “CZ” Zhao&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/Ba6AmOCDsuo">projected</a> a potential Bitcoin “supercycle” in 2026, suggesting that Bitcoin could break past its traditional four-year pattern of expansion and contraction. Speaking with CNBC’s Aaron Ross Sorkin, Zhao said he has “very strong feelings it will probably be a supercycle in 2026 for Bitcoin,” while declining to provide a specific price target. On longer horizons, he added: “[On a] 5-10 year horizon, it’s very easy to predict. We’re going to go up.”During the same interview, Zhao addressed speculation about personal ties to Donald Trump following his controversial presidential pardon after a four-month prison sentence for anti-money-laundering violations. He stated, “Based on my knowledge, there is really no connection,” in response to industry critics alleging that Binance’s ties to Trump-linked crypto ventures influenced the pardon. Zhao noted that the Trump family is “in crypto,” Binance is a “large crypto firm” and the former president’s administration has been “pro-crypto,” but said he has never met or spoken with Trump, and that his closest physical proximity to the former president was as little as thirty to forty feet at Davos earlier that week.Zhao’s statements add context to ongoing scrutiny over his pardon, which followed a guilty plea and regulatory penalties tied to Binance’s operations in the United States. The pardon and his comments on both market cycles and regulatory relationships continue to shape industry discussion as firms navigate evolving global compliance landscapes.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Binance files MiCA license through branded European regulatory infrastructure

Binance Files MiCA Application in Greece as EU Deadline Nears, Revives Tokenized Stock Plans

<h2>Kansas Lawmakers Advance Digital Asset Reserve Plan Without Direct Crypto Purchases</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Kansas lawmakers introduced Senate Bill 352 to create a state-managed Bitcoin and digital assets reserve funded through unclaimed property rather than market purchases.</li><li>The proposal assigns oversight to the state treasurer and redirects a portion of non-Bitcoin digital assets to the general fund while retaining Bitcoin in reserve.</li><li>The bill advanced through committee review on January 23, 2026, as part of broader state-level crypto policy efforts.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Kansas lawmakers introduced legislation that would allow the state to establish a&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> and digital assets reserve funded through unclaimed property, according to filings and committee records released January 23, 2026. Senate&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb352/">Bill 352</a> was introduced by state Senator Craig Bowser and proposes the creation of a dedicated reserve fund under the authority of the Kansas State Treasurer, enabling the state to hold abandoned digital assets rather than liquidating them under existing unclaimed property procedures.The measure updates Kansas unclaimed property statutes to explicitly recognize digital assets, including cryptocurrencies,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/airdrop">airdrops</a>, and staking rewards, as property that can be transferred to state custody after meeting abandonment criteria. The bill does not authorize Kansas to purchase Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies directly on the open market, instead relying solely on assets already deemed unclaimed under state law.Under the proposal, digital assets transferred into the reserve would be managed separately from other state holdings. The legislation specifies that 10% of the value of digital assets deposited into the reserve, excluding Bitcoin, would be credited to the Kansas general fund. Bitcoin transferred into the reserve would remain segregated and would not be redirected to general revenue accounts.Oversight of the reserve would fall to the Kansas State Treasurer, who would be authorized to determine custody arrangements and asset management practices. The bill allows unclaimed digital assets to be transferred by regulated custodians such as exchanges, banks, and trust companies, while excluding self-custodied wallets from mandatory transfer requirements.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/DeFi-Staking">Staking</a> rewards and airdrops generated from assets held by the state would also be retained within the reserve framework.Senate Bill 352 was initially reviewed by the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee before being referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance for further consideration. The proposal builds on other digital asset-related legislative efforts in Kansas, including Senate Bill 34, introduced in January 2025, which would permit the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System to allocate up to 10% of its portfolio to spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds.The legislation places Kansas among a growing number of U.S. states examining formal mechanisms for holding or managing digital assets at the government level. Similar approaches have been discussed in other jurisdictions that seek to integrate digital assets into public finance structures without committing taxpayer funds to direct cryptocurrency purchases.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Bitcoin treated separately under Kansas Bitcoin reserve fund rules

Kansas Senate Bill 352 Proposes Bitcoin and Digital Assets Reserve Using Unclaimed Property

<h2>Wall Street Banks Engaged as Ledger Weighs New York Listing Following BitGo Debut</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Ledger is reportedly exploring a U.S. IPO at a valuation exceeding $4 billion, with Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and Barclays involved.</li><li>The move follows BitGo’s NYSE debut, which raised up to $213 million at a nearly $2 billion valuation.</li><li>The potential listing could take place in 2026, though plans remain subject to change.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Ledger, a French crypto hardware&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a> manufacturer, is exploring a potential initial public offering in the United States that could value the company at more than $4 billion, according to people familiar with the matter cited by the Financial Times. The discussions, reported on January 23, 2026, place Ledger among a growing group of digital asset firms seeking access to U.S. public markets amid renewed investor appetite for crypto-related infrastructure companies.Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, and Barclays have been engaged to advise on the potential listing, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/380bde8c-9952-4302-83be-e0440855b8ff">Financial Times</a> reported, underscoring the scale of the proposed transaction. The banks are said to be working with Ledger as it evaluates a New York Stock Exchange listing, though the structure, timing, and final valuation of the offering have not been finalized and remain subject to change.A valuation above $4 billion would mark a significant step up from Ledger’s last disclosed valuation of $1.5 billion in 2023. That earlier figure followed a funding round backed by investors including True Global Ventures and 10T Holdings, according to people familiar with the company’s capital history. Ledger declined to comment when contacted about the IPO plans.Sources told the Financial Times that the offering could take place as early as 2026, depending on market conditions and internal decisions. The company has previously signaled interest in tapping U.S. capital markets. In November 2025, Ledger chief executive Pascal Gauthier said the company was considering future fundraising options, including a public listing in New York or an additional private funding round.The reported IPO exploration comes as demand for crypto hardware wallets has risen, driven by increased emphasis on self-custody and secure storage of digital assets. Ledger is widely known for manufacturing physical devices designed to store private cryptographic keys offline, a segment that has drawn heightened attention following past failures of centralized crypto platforms.Ledger’s potential listing follows the recent public debut of&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/bitgo-ipo-raises-213m-nyse-valuation-2-2b">BitGo</a>, a crypto wallet and custody provider, which listed on the New York Stock Exchange earlier in 2026. BitGo offered 111,821,595 shares, aiming to raise up to $213 million, and entered the market with a valuation of nearly $2 billion, becoming the first digital asset company to complete an IPO in 2026.Reports have noted that BitGo’s post-listing performance has been mixed, illustrating uneven investor reception for newly listed crypto firms. Market participants cited by the Financial Times have pointed to custody and infrastructure providers as a segment drawing comparatively stronger institutional interest, even as broader crypto market conditions remain variable.The New York listing under consideration would add Ledger to a growing roster of crypto-related companies pursuing U.S. listings under what sources described as a more favorable regulatory environment. The Financial Times reported that the current U.S. administration has publicly positioned the country as a hub for digital asset innovation, a stance that has influenced listing decisions by crypto firms evaluating public markets.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Ledger custody strength visualized as robot secures assets before IPO

Ledger Explores U.S. IPO Valuation Above $4 Billion as Crypto Custody Demand Accelerates

<h2>Wealth Manager Prepares Limited Crypto Access as Client Demand Grows</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>UBS plans to make cryptocurrency investing available to a subset of private banking clients.</li><li>The initiative was disclosed on Jan. 23, 2026, and remains under development with no launch date announced.</li><li>The move marks a strategic shift for the world’s largest wealth manager by assets toward direct digital-asset exposure.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>UBS Group disclosed on Jan. 23, 2026, that it is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-23/ubs-plans-crypto-trading-for-some-clients-in-digital-asset-push">preparing</a> to make cryptocurrency investing and trading available to some private banking clients, according to reporting citing people familiar with the matter. The initiative would represent one of the most concrete steps yet by the world’s largest wealth manager by assets to integrate digital assets into its core wealth-management offering, with access expected to be limited rather than broadly rolled out.The planned service is being designed for a select group of private clients, rather than the bank’s entire wealth customer base, as UBS evaluates how to incorporate crypto assets within its existing risk and compliance frameworks. The bank has not announced a specific launch date, nor has it detailed which cryptocurrencies or investment structures would be included when the offering becomes available.Reporting on the plans indicated that UBS is exploring both direct cryptocurrency investments and structured investment products, rather than restricting access solely to indirect exposure vehicles. The approach reflects internal discussions focused on balancing client demand for crypto exposure with the bank’s historically conservative stance toward volatile asset classes.Client interest has been cited as a central factor behind the decision to advance crypto-related services, particularly among high-net-worth individuals seeking broader portfolio diversification. UBS has previously allowed limited exposure through certain products, but the new initiative would expand access beyond earlier constraints.The digital-asset push comes as UBS continues to reshape its global wealth-management business following its acquisition of Credit Suisse, integrating platforms and reassessing service offerings across regions. Crypto services are being evaluated as part of that broader restructuring, according to people familiar with the plans.Regulatory and operational considerations remain central to the rollout, with UBS assessing internal controls, custody arrangements, and jurisdictional requirements before finalizing the scope of services. No geographic breakdown for the initial availability has been disclosed as of Jan. 23.Peers including&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/morgan-stanley-bitcoin-solana-ethereum-staking-etf-filings">Morgan Stanley</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/jpmorgan-jpm-coin-canton-network-multichain">JPMorgan</a> have already expanded crypto-related offerings for wealthy clients, adding competitive pressure among global banks serving high-net-worth investors. UBS’s move places it more directly alongside those institutions as digital assets continue to gain traction within private banking.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

UBS crypto expansion illustrated inside private banking infrastructure with robot

UBS to Offer Cryptocurrency Trading to Select Private Banking Clients in Targeted Digital-Asset Expansion

<h2>Account Closures After Jan. 6 Resurface as Trump Targets JPMorgan in Miami-Dade Filing</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Donald Trump sued JPMorgan Chase and CEO Jamie Dimon in Florida state court on January 22, 2026, seeking $5 billion over alleged account terminations.</li><li>The lawsuit centers on bank accounts closed in February 2021 following the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.</li><li>JPMorgan said the case has no merit and stated it “does not close accounts for political or religious reasons.”</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Donald Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-22/trump-sues-jpmorgan-dimon-for-5-billion-over-alleged-debanking">filed</a> a lawsuit on January 22, 2026, in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court against JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co. and its chief executive Jamie Dimon, seeking $5 billion in damages over allegations that the bank terminated accounts tied to Trump and his businesses. The filing followed a January 17, 2026 social media post in which Trump threatened legal action, and the complaint was reported by Bloomberg as not yet available on the court’s public docket at the time of publication.Trump’s legal team alleged that JPMorgan closed multiple accounts “without warning or provocation,” affecting Trump personally and several hospitality and golf-related limited liability companies. The complaint states that the terminations occurred in February 2021, weeks after the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, an event that remains central to the dispute outlined in the Florida filing.Court documents cited in the coverage accuse JPMorgan of trade libel and breach of the implied covenant of good faith, while alleging that Dimon violated Florida’s deceptive and unfair trade practices law. The plaintiffs asserted that the bank’s actions were driven by political considerations, writing that “the political tide at the moment favored doing so,” and adding, “In essence, JPMC debanked Plaintiffs’ Account because it believed that the political tide at the moment favored doing so.”Trump referenced the January 6 events directly in a January 17, 2026&nbsp;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115911321115123547">post</a> preceding the lawsuit, arguing that the Capitol attack was the “correct” response because the 2020 election was “rigged.” The coverage reiterated that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to Joe Biden by 74 electoral votes, a fact included alongside Trump’s public statements connected to the lawsuit.JPMorgan responded through a spokesperson, stating the lawsuit had no merit and that the bank “does not close accounts for political or religious reasons.” Dimon has previously rejected similar accusations from other sectors, including claims raised by figures in the cryptocurrency industry, according to the reporting accompanying the filing.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Financial dispute highlights debanking claims in U.S. institutions

Trump Files $5 Billion Lawsuit Against JPMorgan and Jamie Dimon Over Alleged Debanking in Florida Court

<h2>Updated draft sets Jan. 27 markup, expands CFTC authority, and exposes Senate rift over DeFi, stablecoins, and rewards</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Senate Agriculture Committee released a GOP-only crypto market structure draft on Jan. 22, 2026, with a markup scheduled for Jan. 27, 2026.</li><li>The bill expands CFTC authority over digital commodities and diverges from the Senate Banking Committee’s stalled effort.</li><li>Coinbase withdrew support, citing “fatal flaws,” including potential rewards restrictions and unresolved SEC–CFTC issues.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>The Senate Agriculture Committee on Jan. 22, 2026,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/newsroom/rep/press/release/chairman-boozman-unveils-updated-market-structure-legislation-schedules-business-meeting?ref=bankless.ghost.io">published</a> a revised crypto market structure draft that failed to secure Democratic support, moving forward as a Republican-only proposal after months of negotiations. The release followed earlier bipartisan talks and set a committee markup for Jan. 27, 2026, according to materials published by the panel. The legislation is separate from the Senate Banking Committee’s parallel crypto market structure bill, creating two competing Senate tracks that must eventually be reconciled before any measure can advance to the Senate floor.Committee Chair John Boozman said the updated text followed months of collaboration with Sen. Cory Booker while acknowledging unresolved disputes. “While differences remain on fundamental policy issues, this bill builds on our bipartisan discussion draft while incorporating input from stakeholders and represents months of work,” Boozman said. “Although it's unfortunate that we couldn’t reach an agreement, I am grateful for the collaboration that has made this legislation better.” A spokesperson for Booker said the senator had been “working in good faith with Senator Boozman for months to craft market structure legislation that can get broad support in the Senate.”The Agriculture Committee draft would grant the Commodity&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/futures-contract">Futures</a> Trading Commission expanded authority to regulate digital commodities, extending beyond its current derivatives-focused mandate. Critics described the proposal as less favorable to the crypto industry than the Banking Committee’s earlier draft, warning that the Agriculture version could impose more extensive oversight and custody requirements on crypto intermediaries. The bill text released on Jan. 22 removed bracketed provisions that had appeared in prior versions, signaling leadership intent to formalize its negotiating position ahead of the Jan. 27 meeting.Earlier iterations of the legislation included a 155-page bipartisan discussion draft released in November, which proposed giving the CFTC new authority but left key questions unresolved. Those bracketed sections addressed issues such as decentralized finance regulation, joint rulemaking authority between the CFTC and the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the treatment of&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>. The latest version excludes sections covering the “treatment of certain noncontrolling blockchain developers” and anti-money laundering provisions that appeared in prior drafts.Industry groups responded cautiously to the updated text. Crypto Council for Innovation Chief Executive Officer Ji Hun Kim called the release “an important step.” “The release of this market structure legislation is an important step toward a comprehensive framework for digital commodities,” Kim said. “Clear rules of the road are essential to protecting American consumers, supporting responsible innovation, and strengthening U.S. leadership.” The Senate Agriculture Committee has jurisdiction over the CFTC, while the Senate Banking Committee oversees the SEC, placing the two panels at the center of crypto regulatory oversight.The Banking Committee’s version of a crypto market structure bill&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/us-senate-crypto-market-structure-bill-stalls-coinbase-withdraws">stalled</a> after&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a> withdrew its support, prompting the cancellation of a planned hearing to amend and vote on that legislation. The setback occurred days before the Agriculture Committee released its GOP-only draft, intensifying divisions within the Senate over how to regulate crypto markets and assign authority between agencies.Coinbase explained its decision in comments published on Jan. 22, 2026, with a company vice president citing what were described as “fatal flaws” in the Senate bill. According to the executive, Coinbase pulled backing because a potential ban on rewards and limited SEC flexibility would have left everyday crypto users worse off. The company also raised concerns about the treatment of tokenized equities, decentralized finance, and the delineation of responsibilities between the SEC and the CFTC.<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">Stablecoin</a> rewards emerged as a particularly contentious issue in the debate. Banking groups have criticized existing stablecoin legislation known as GENIUS, which passed over the summer, arguing that allowing third-party platforms to offer rewards could divert deposits from community banks. The GENIUS law bars issuers from paying direct interest to stablecoin holders but does not prohibit third-party platforms from offering rewards, a distinction that has fueled lobbying by both banks and crypto firms.Any crypto market structure bill approved by the Agriculture Committee must be reconciled with the Banking Committee’s version before advancing to the Senate floor. A unified bill would require 60 votes to pass, a threshold that would need unanimous Republican support and backing from some Democrats, according to Senate procedure.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Senate crypto bill advances through committee amid regulatory debate.

Senate Agriculture Committee Advances GOP-Only Crypto Market Structure Bill as Coinbase Pulls Support

<h2>Crypto Custody Provider Enters Public Markets With $18 Share Pricing</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>BitGo priced its IPO at $18 per share on January 22, 2026, raising about $212.8 million to $213 million.</li><li>The offering values the company at approximately $2.2 billion.</li><li>Shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on the same day.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>BitGo completed its initial public offering on January 22, 2026, pricing shares at $18 each and raising approximately $212.8 million to $213 million in gross proceeds, according to disclosures published that day. The transaction valued the crypto custody and infrastructure firm at approximately $2.2 billion following the offering.Shares&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/NYSE/status/2014337001303261267">began</a> trading on the New York Stock Exchange on January 22, 2026, marking one of the first major crypto-related public listings of the year. The NYSE debut placed BitGo among a limited number of crypto-native firms to access U.S. equity markets, with the listing occurring amid heightened investor attention on regulated digital asset services.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.45%;"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2014337001303261267_20260123_005723_via_10015_io_5804803f52.webp" alt="tweet_2014337001303261267_20260123_005723_via_10015_io.webp"></figure>The IPO documentation and contemporaneous reporting described BitGo’s business as focused on regulated custody, settlement, and infrastructure services for institutional clients. The company’s revenue model was outlined as fee-based and recurring, tied to safeguarding and servicing digital assets rather than facilitating speculative trading activity.Trading data on January 22, 2026 noted that investor interest centered on regulatory clarity and compliance standards in the United States. Reports emphasized that the $2.2 billion valuation reflected demand for crypto exposure through infrastructure providers operating within established regulatory frameworks.BitGo’s first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange was marked by sharp intraday volatility following its January 22, 2026 listing. The company’s Class A shares, trading under the ticker BTGO, climbed as much as 36% shortly after the open, reaching an intraday high of $24.50, according to market data published the same day. The rally proved short-lived, with the stock reversing course through the afternoon session. BTGO finished regular trading on January 22 at $18.49, up about 2.7% from its $18 IPO price, and later changed hands around $18.35 in after-hours trading.The $18-per-share pricing and approximately $213 million capital raise were repeatedly cited in coverage as reference points for other crypto infrastructure firms considering public offerings. Reporting released on January 22, 2026, characterized BitGo’s listing as part of a broader re-entry of crypto companies into public markets during the year, anchored by custody and service-oriented business models rather than direct token exposure.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

BitGo IPO underscores growing demand for regulated crypto custody

BitGo IPO Raises About $213 Million, Values Crypto Custody Firm at $2.2 Billion in NYSE Debut

<h2>Laser Digital Introduces Cayman-Domiciled, On-Chain Bitcoin Income Vehicle for Institutions</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Nomura-owned Laser Digital launched a tokenized Bitcoin yield fund on Jan. 22, 2026, targeting more than 5% excess net returns versus BTC over rolling 12-month periods.</li><li>The Cayman-domiciled fund combines long-only Bitcoin exposure with arbitrage, lending, and options strategies, using KAIO for tokenization and Komainu for custody.</li><li>The product is aimed at institutional and accredited investors seeking income alongside Bitcoin exposure, without relying solely on crypto price appreciation.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Laser Digital, the digital-asset subsidiary of Nomura,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.laserdigital.com/company-news/laser-digital-asset-management-launches-upgraded-bitcoin-diversified-yield-fund/">announced</a> on Jan. 22, 2026, the launch of a tokenized, yield-bearing&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> fund designed to pair directional&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a> exposure with income-generating strategies, expanding its institutional product lineup beyond long-only offerings.The vehicle, named the Laser Digital Bitcoin Diversified Yield Fund SP, is domiciled in the Cayman Islands and structured as a natively tokenized fund, with on-chain share classes issued at the main fund level to align blockchain settlement with traditional fund governance and controls.Laser Digital stated that the fund aims to generate more than approximately 5% excess net returns compared with Bitcoin performance over rolling 12-month periods, depending on market conditions, by combining long-only BTC exposure with arbitrage, lending, and options strategies.The firm described the product as the world’s first natively tokenized Cayman-domiciled Bitcoin yield fund, positioning it as a response to institutional demand for income-producing strategies tied to Bitcoin rather than exposure dependent solely on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> movements or changes in the broader crypto price index.Tokenization for the fund is provided by KAIO, while regulated digital-asset custodian Komainu is responsible for safeguarding the underlying Bitcoin, enabling in-kind subscriptions, atomic settlement, and on-chain administration designed for large institutional allocations.Laser Digital said the fund is intended for institutional and accredited investors, including long-term Bitcoin holders such as digital-asset treasuries and traditional financial institutions seeking yield without exiting core BTC positions or increasing exposure to coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> volatility.Jez Mohideen, co-founder and chief executive officer of Laser Digital, said recent market conditions have shifted investor preferences, stating that “yield-bearing, market-neutral funds built on calculated&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/decentralised-finance">DeFi</a> strategies are the natural evolution of crypto asset management.”Sebastien Guglietta, head of Laser Digital Asset Management, said the structure addresses a long-standing limitation of Bitcoin portfolios, adding that the fund is designed to provide income on an asset “traditionally viewed as a store of value without inherent yield,” while maintaining exposure to Bitcoin itself.The fund is managed by Laser Digital Middle East FZE, which operates under Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority framework, a regulatory structure the firm said is intended to meet institutional compliance, reporting, and risk-management requirements.Laser Digital previously launched the Bitcoin Adoption Fund on Sept. 19, 2023, offering long-only Bitcoin exposure using Komainu for custody, and has since expanded its lineup with products such as the Laser Digital Carry Fund and a multi-strategy fund, as Nomura continues to broaden its institutional digital-asset offerings tied to crypto price benchmarks and diversified return profiles.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Robot executes bitcoin strategies across tokenized rails tracking crypto price

Nomura-Backed Laser Digital Launches Tokenized Bitcoin Yield Fund Targeting Over 5% Excess Returns

<h2>SKR Goes Live With 90-Day Claim Window, $26.6M Distribution and Immediate Staking as Seeker Season 2 Opens</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Solana Mobile launched nearly 2 billion SKR tokens on Jan. 21, 2026, opening a 90-day airdrop claim for 100,000 Seeker users and 188 developers.</li><li>SKR rose about 38% after launch, trading near $0.013, valuing the initial distribution at roughly $26.6 million.</li><li>The token features a 10% starting inflation rate with issuance events every 48 hours and a long-term decline toward 2%.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a> Mobile&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/solanamobile/status/2013794341614166152">launched</a> its native SKR token on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, distributing almost 2 billion tokens through an airdrop tied to its Android-based Seeker smartphone, with claims available for a 90-day period. The launch made SKR immediately tradable and stakeable, with rewards beginning at inception. The airdrop targets at least 100,000 Seeker users and 188 developers, with the distributed supply valued at about $26.6 million at the time of publication, based on the prevailing&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a>.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.43%;"><img alt="tweet_2013794341614166152_20260122_080913_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2013794341614166152_20260122_080913_via_10015_io_673a943d1e.webp"></figure>SKR, the utility and governance token of the Solana Mobile ecosystem, went live at around 02:00 UTC and climbed roughly 38% shortly after launch, trading near $0.013 during early market activity. The move placed SKR among the more actively tracked new assets across crypto price index dashboards, as traders assessed its circulating supply against the broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> landscape and short-term crypto price movements.Solana Mobile framed the launch as a shift toward user ownership in its official announcement, stating, “Seeker and SKR are a bet that there’s another way for mobile: that the people who use the network should own the network. Today, over 100,000 of you can claim your stake in that future.” The company confirmed that Seeker users can claim SKR directly through the device’s built-in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a>, while developers who deployed a “quality app” to the Seeker dApp Store during Season 1 are also eligible.Unclaimed allocations will be returned to the airdrop pool after the 90-day window closes. SKR has a fixed total supply of 10 billion tokens, issued as a Solana Program Library asset, with 30% allocated to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/airdrop">airdrops</a> and launch-related unlocks. The token is designed to support governance participation, incentives, platform access, and alignment among users, developers, researchers, and protocols within the Solana Mobile ecosystem.<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/DeFi-Staking">Staking</a> was enabled at launch, with Solana Mobile encouraging recipients to lock tokens to participate in emissions. The project follows a linear inflation model, with inflation events occurring every 48 hours. Annual inflation starts at 10% and declines by 25% each year until it reaches 2%, where it stabilizes permanently, according to the project’s disclosures.The SKR rollout coincided with the opening of Seeker Season 2 on Wednesday, introducing new apps, rewards, and early-access programs focused on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/decentralised-finance">DeFi</a>, gaming, payments, trading, and decentralized physical infrastructure networks. Seeker, launched in August 2025 as the successor to the Solana&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/saga-saga">Saga</a> from 2022, is preloaded with crypto-native features such as a Solana dApp Store and Seed Vault hardware-backed key storage. Solana Mobile previously reported receiving about 150,000 preorders for the device, with shipments planned to more than 50 countries.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Seeker smartphone rollout tied to SKR crypto price dynamics

Solana Mobile Launches SKR Token Airdrop, Triggers 38% Price Jump as 2 Billion Tokens Go Live for Seeker Users

<h2>Ethereum co-founder outlines protocol-level staking changes, governance redesign, and personal move away from centralized social platforms</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Vitalik Buterin proposed native Distributed Validator Technology for Ethereum staking, allowing up to 16 keys per validator with threshold signing and minimal latency impact.</li><li>He criticized token-holder DAO voting as inefficient, calling for “different and better DAOs” using zero-knowledge proofs and AI to address privacy and decision fatigue.</li><li>Buterin said he is moving fully back to decentralized social media in 2026, as Farcaster and Lens Protocol change hands.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a> co-founder Vitalik Buterin outlined multiple structural changes across Ethereum staking,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/dao-maker-dao">DAO</a> governance, and decentralized social media during a series of public statements and forum posts released between January 19 and January 22, 2026. The comments and proposals span protocol-level validator design, governance architecture, and personal platform usage, with each tied to specific technical limitations he said persist across the crypto ecosystem as of early 2026.Vitalik Buterin published a&nbsp;<a href="https://ethresear.ch/t/native-dvt-for-ethereum-staking/23894/1">proposal</a> on the Ethereum Research forum describing a plan to integrate native Distributed Validator Technology directly into Ethereum’s staking protocol. The proposal allows a single validator to register multiple independent signing keys that collectively operate as one validator identity. Actions such as block proposals and attestations would only be valid if a threshold number of keys sign, rather than relying on a single node or machine, according to the post dated January 19, 2026.Buterin wrote, “DVT is a way for Ethereum stakers to stake without fully relying on one single node,” adding that validator operations would remain correct “as long as more than two-thirds of the nodes are honest.” The design permits validators holding multiples of the minimum required stake to specify up to 16 keys along with a signing threshold, effectively running several standard nodes as one grouped validator identity.The proposal specifies that the native DVT design would add only one extra round of latency for block production and introduce no additional delay for attestations. Buterin stated the approach would remain compatible with any signature scheme and avoid reliance on cryptographic assumptions that could be vulnerable over the long term. Slashing protections would remain intact under appropriate threshold configurations, according to the Ethereum Research post.Separately, on January 19, 2026, Buterin called for a fundamental redesign of decentralized autonomous organizations, criticizing the dominant token-holder voting model used by most DAOs. “We need more DAOs — but different and better DAOs,” he&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/VitalikButerin/status/2013145235447042067">wrote</a> in a public post on X. He said current DAO structures are inefficient and fail to address weaknesses in human political decision-making.Buterin said many DAOs rely on treasuries controlled by token-holder voting, which he described as functional but vulnerable to capture, manipulation, and decision fatigue. He said these limitations have led to growing cynicism around DAOs. He argued that improved DAO designs must address privacy concerns and cognitive overload, proposing the use of zero-knowledge technology and AI-assisted mechanisms.He also identified oracle infrastructure as a critical weakness. “Today, decentralized&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>, prediction markets, and other basic building blocks of&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/decentralised-finance">DeFi</a> are built on oracle designs that we are not satisfied with,” Buterin said. He said better oracle systems are required to support more effective decentralized governance and financial applications.On January 22, 2026, Buterin said he is moving fully back to decentralized social media platforms during 2026, coinciding with ownership changes at Farcaster and Lens Protocol. He encouraged users to remain engaged with decentralized social platforms despite ongoing transitions and early-stage challenges, according to comments published the same day.In a public post, Buterin&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/2013884907659944205">criticized</a> centralized social media dynamics, describing them as “everyone constantly tweeting inside a single global info warzone.” He said mass communication tools should instead serve users’ long-term interests rather than engagement-driven incentives. His comments were released as both Farcaster and Lens Protocol underwent leadership and ownership changes in January 2026.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Decentralized social media robot moving away from centralized platforms

Vitalik Buterin Pushes Native DVT Staking, Calls for New DAO Models, and Backs Decentralized Social Media Shift

<h2>New Galaxy Fund Targets Long and Short Bets Across Crypto Tokens and Financial Services Stocks</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Galaxy Digital plans to launch a $100 million hedge fund in Q1 2026, allocating up to 30% to crypto tokens and the rest to financial services equities.</li><li>Bitcoin was down about 28% from its October peak and trading around $87,000–$90,000 at the time of reporting.</li><li>Galaxy manages roughly $17 billion in digital assets and reported a $505 million profit in Q3 2025.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Galaxy Digital, the digital-asset firm founded by billionaire Mike Novogratz, is preparing to launch a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7c96bafe-c25a-492d-b3ce-e8ebe37bd274">$100 million</a> hedge fund focused on cryptocurrency markets and financial technology stocks, with a planned debut in the first quarter of 2026. The fund is designed to take both long and short positions across crypto tokens and publicly traded financial services companies, according to reporting published on January 21, 2026.The launch comes during a period of market weakness, with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> trading roughly 28% below its October 2025 peak and changing hands in the $87,000 to $90,000 range at the time of publication. Market data cited alongside the announcement showed Bitcoin at about $87,298, down 3.26% over 24 hours, while&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ether</a> traded near $2,872.27, down 4.74%, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a> around $125.78, down 1.28%.Up to 30% of the $100 million fund is expected to be allocated directly to crypto tokens, while the remaining roughly 70% will be deployed into financial services and fintech-related equities affected by digital asset adoption, regulatory shifts, and technological change. The strategy allows the fund to seek returns in both rising and falling markets through directional and relative-value trades.The hedge fund will be led by Joe Armao, a portfolio manager at Galaxy, who described the market environment as one where two-way strategies are becoming more relevant. “You can play disrupters, winning and losing themes across financial services,” Armao said, referring to opportunities across traditional finance firms and newer technology-driven competitors.Armao also said market conditions have changed materially from earlier crypto cycles. “The up only phase is potentially coming to an end,” he said, while adding that he remains constructive on major digital assets, including Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana, citing expectations around interest rate policy and institutional participation.Galaxy Digital is expected to seed the fund with its own capital, though the firm has not disclosed the size of its internal commitment. The remaining capital has been raised from a mix of family offices, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional investors, bringing total commitments to $100 million ahead of the launch.The firm currently manages about $17 billion in digital assets across its trading, asset management, and investment banking businesses. Galaxy reported a profit of $505 million in the third quarter of 2025, according to previously disclosed financial results.Galaxy was founded roughly nine years ago, with Novogratz originally envisioning the company as a hedge fund before expanding into a broader digital-asset financial services platform. The new hedge fund represents a return to that original concept, adapted to a market where crypto assets, fintech stocks, and traditional financial firms are increasingly intertwined.The fund’s launch follows a broader wave of institutional activity in digital assets, including public listings by crypto-related companies such as Circle and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/exchange/table">Gemini</a>, developments that have reshaped the landscape in which Galaxy operates as it prepares to roll out the new vehicle in early 2026.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Galaxy Digital manages crypto market risk through structured hedge fund.

Galaxy Digital to Launch $100 Million Crypto and Fintech Hedge Fund Amid Bitcoin’s 28% Pullback

<h2>Generational Trust Split and Merchant Behavior Redefine Crypto’s Role in 2025–2026</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>OKX survey in January 2026 show Gen Z and Millennials trust crypto platforms far more than Baby Boomers and plan higher usage.</li><li>CoinGate data from H1 2025 shows 644,578 crypto payments, with crypto settlements rising to 40.9% from 27% in 2024.</li><li>Stablecoin and Bitcoin usage patterns point to crypto being retained as operational capital, not just converted to fiat.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>An&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/okx">OKX</a> survey of 1,000 Americans <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/gen-z-millennials-crypto-future-boomers-survey">found</a> younger generations expressing markedly higher confidence in cryptocurrency platforms than older cohorts, with about 40% of Gen Z respondents and 41% of Millennials giving crypto platforms trust scores of 7 out of 10 or higher, compared with 9% of Baby Boomers. The same survey showed approximately 74% of Boomers assigning high trust to traditional banks, while only about 20% of Gen Z and Millennials said they strongly trust banks.<figure class="image"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/genz_millennials_crypto_38d11ca632.jpg" alt="genz millennials crypto.jpg"></figure>Trust levels among younger respondents have increased compared with earlier in 2025, with 36% of Gen Z and 34% of Millennials reporting higher confidence in crypto platforms, according to the January 2026 data. Over the same period, only 11% of Boomers said they plan to increase crypto activity, compared with roughly 40% of Gen Z and 36% of Millennials who said they intend to expand their crypto use through 2026.The survey data was contextualized against broader U.S. wealth distribution figures, which estimate total American household wealth at about $163 trillion, with Baby Boomers controlling more than half of that total, or roughly $83.3 trillion. The survey framed these figures alongside generational differences in financial preferences observed as of January 2026.Parallel shifts are appearing in business usage of crypto, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://coingate.com/blog/post/crypto-payments-data-report-2025">CoinGate</a>’s H1 2025 payments data. CoinGate reported processing 644,578 crypto payments in the first half of 2025, as regulatory changes in Europe reshaped merchant behavior following the implementation of MiCA rules. During the same period, crypto settlements accounted for approximately 40.9% of all merchant activity, up from 27% in 2024.<figure class="image"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/2025_crypto_payment_highlights_img_53_1931a77734.webp" alt="2025_crypto_payment_highlights_img_53.webp"></figure><a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">Stablecoin</a> usage changed sharply in H1 2025, with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> payments increasing by 337% year over year and capturing 27.3% of stablecoin payment volume, up from roughly 2.5% in 2024. CoinGate reported that&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> regained its position as the most-used cryptocurrency for payments after certain&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a> were phased out in parts of the European market.Longer-term CoinGate data covering 2014 through 2025 showed Bitcoin accounting for about 44% of all transactions processed on the platform since 2014. For 2025 year-to-date, Bitcoin represented 22.7% of total orders, followed by&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/tether-usdt">USDT</a> at 19.8%,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/litecoin-ltc">Litecoin</a> at 14.0%, and USDC at 11.5%, according to the same dataset.Geographic breakdowns from CoinGate’s historical payments data showed the United States accounting for approximately 40.3% of Bitcoin orders processed between 2014 and 2025, with Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Canada also contributing significant volumes over that period.CoinGate’s H1 2025 report also noted a growing tendency among merchants to retain crypto revenue rather than immediately convert it to fiat currency, coinciding with the rise in settlement rates to 40.9%. The company’s data framed this behavior within the broader increase in crypto payment activity observed during the first half of 2025.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Crypto adoption grows as businesses shift from banks to digital rails

Businesses Hold More Crypto as Younger Americans Back Digital Assets, Surveys and Payments Data Show

<h2>BlackRock, JPMorgan, Fidelity and Others Launch Live Products as Ethereum Staking Tops 36.2 Million ETH</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>35 major firms including BlackRock, JPMorgan, and Fidelity have deployed live tokenized funds, deposits, equities, and payment infrastructure on Ethereum as of January 19–20, 2026.</li><li>Institutional activity coincided with Ethereum staking rising to about 36.2 million ETH and exchange balances falling to a record low of 16.3 million ETH.</li><li>Ethereum also recorded all-time high onchain activity, though research published January 20, 2026 suggests part of the transaction spike may be driven by spam-linked address poisoning rather than organic demand.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Major financial institutions and technology firms are building and deploying live products on&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a> as part of a coordinated shift toward onchain finance, according to information <a href="https://x.com/ethereum/status/2013313143728992700">released</a> on January 19, 2026. The list includes BlackRock, JPMorgan, Fidelity, and a total of 35 firms using Ethereum or Ethereum-linked networks to issue tokenized securities, deposits,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>, and payment systems tied to real-world assets and regulated financial activity.BlackRock is among asset managers expanding tokenization efforts on Ethereum, alongside Fidelity, which launched a tokenized money market fund directly on the network. China Asset Management’s Hong Kong arm also introduced a tokenized U.S. dollar money market fund, described as one of the first such products from a major Chinese asset manager operating on a public blockchain, with Ethereum selected as the settlement layer.European asset managers have joined the deployments. Amundi launched a tokenized share class of a euro-denominated money market fund on Ethereum mainnet, while Société Générale FORGE rolled out euro- and dollar-based lending and trading products that interact with Ethereum-based decentralized finance protocols. These launches place regulated investment products alongside onchain settlement infrastructure used by decentralized markets.JPMorgan expanded its blockchain footprint by migrating its JPM Coin deposit token to Base, an Ethereum&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/layer-2">Layer 2</a> network, and by launching its first tokenized money market fund seeded with $100 million from the bank’s own balance sheet. The bank’s initiatives place tokenized deposits and cash-equivalent instruments within Ethereum’s transaction environment using permissioned structures.Equities and exchange-traded products are also moving onchain.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/exchange/kraken">Kraken</a> launched xStocks, allowing fully collateralized U.S. equities to be transferred on Ethereum-based rails.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ondo-ondo">Ondo</a> Finance introduced a platform offering more than 100 tokenized U.S. stocks and ETFs, each backed by the underlying securities, with Ethereum used as the primary issuance and settlement network.<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">Stablecoin</a> issuance and payment infrastructure featured prominently among the launches. Stripe expanded subscription payment support using&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> on Ethereum. SoFi issued SoFiUSD, becoming the first U.S. national retail bank to launch a stablecoin on a public blockchain, using Ethereum for settlement and transfers linked to customer accounts.Technology firms have also tied Ethereum into emerging payment use cases. Google announced its “Agent Payments Protocol (AP2),” designed to allow artificial intelligence agents to pay one another using stablecoins on Ethereum. Google Search also integrated data feeds from Polymarket, a decentralized prediction market operating on blockchain infrastructure, for real-time informational queries.Global payments messaging provider SWIFT is building an Ethereum bridge aimed at supporting real-time, always-on settlement flows for cross-border payments, according to the reported developments. Mastercard has integrated its Crypto Credential program to support easier digital&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/crypto-wallets">wallet</a> usage tied to blockchain-based identity and payment verification systems.Network data accompanying the institutional activity showed Ethereum staking surpassing approximately 36.2 million&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">ETH</a>, representing around 30% of the circulating supply, based on figures cited at the time. Wallet growth accelerated, with nearly 394,000 new Ethereum addresses created on January 11, 2026, marking one of the highest single-day totals reported during the period.Corporate accumulation added to supply constraints. BitMine Immersion, led by Tom Lee, staked 1.77 million ETH valued at about $5.66 billion, removing 86,848 ETH from active circulation in a single operation. Exchange balances declined concurrently, with Ethereum held on centralized trading venues falling to a record low of 16.3 million ETH, according to onchain tracking data cited in reports.Ethereum’s expanding institutional role has also prompted internal debate. Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin cautioned publicly that growing protocol complexity could weaken long-term security and self-sovereignty, emphasizing the importance of maintaining simplicity as adoption by financial institutions accelerates.Ethereum’s surge in institutional deployments has coincided with a sharp rise in onchain activity that researchers say may not be entirely organic. Ethereum posted record transaction levels around January 20, 2026, but onchain researcher Andrey Sergeenkov&nbsp;<a href="https://sergeenkov.com/record-high-activity-ethereum-2026/">reported</a> that a significant portion of the increase was linked to address poisoning, a scam technique that sends low-cost “dust” transfers to wallet addresses to contaminate transaction histories. The research noted that these transfers rely on Ethereum’s relatively cheap transaction costs and can inflate activity metrics without corresponding user demand.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Ethereum staking locks supply as institutional participation reaches record levels

35 Institutions Build on Ethereum as Tokenized Finance Expands and Onchain Activity Hits Records

<h2>Short-dated contracts drive revenue surge amid $814M daily trading spike</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Prediction markets generated over $2.7 million in weekly fees in mid-January 2026, the highest on record.</li><li>A single day saw $814 million in trading volume, pushing January totals to about $10.5 billion with 11 days remaining.</li><li>Opinion led weekly fees with about $1.5 million, while Kalshi dominated daily volume with more than $535 million.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Prediction markets&nbsp;<a href="https://dune.com/gateresearch/prediction-markets-overview">recorded</a> their highest-ever weekly revenue in mid-January 2026, generating more than $2.7 million in fees as trading volumes and open interest climbed across major platforms. The milestone was reported on January 20, 2026, and marked the strongest week on record for the sector in terms of fee generation, coinciding with heightened activity across both established and newer venues.Total trading volume across prediction market platforms surged to more than $814 million on a single Sunday, setting an all-time daily high. That session helped push cumulative January trading volume to roughly $10.5 billion with more than 11 days left in the month, placing activity close to December’s $11.5 billion total and positioning January to challenge the previous monthly record.<figure class="image"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Monthly_Volume_fe5c621e3c.png" alt="Monthly Volume.png"></figure>Kalshi accounted for the largest share of daily trading volume during the $814 million session, posting more than $535 million in trades. Polymarket followed with about $127 million in daily volume, while Opinion recorded roughly $84 million. The distribution highlighted diverging roles among platforms, with Kalshi leading in throughput while others gained ground through different market structures.Fee data showed a different breakdown. Opinion generated approximately 54% of weekly fees, or just over $1.5 million, during the record week. Polymarket produced roughly $787,000 in fees, representing more than 28% of the total, with all of that revenue attributed to its short-dated 15-minute up-and-down markets. Combined platform fees exceeded $2.7 million for the week.<figure class="image"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/Fees_Market_Share_1_0c59c7b7b3.png" alt="Fees Market Share (1).png"></figure>The surge also pushed prediction markets’ share of overall spot crypto trading above 1% for the first time on record, according to data cited by The Block. Previously, the sector accounted for only a fraction of spot exchange activity before crossing the 1% threshold during the same period.<figure class="image"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/prediction_markets_to_spot_exchanges_volume_ratio_3b631e2766.png" alt="prediction-markets-to-spot-exchanges-volume-ratio.png"></figure>Galaxy Research described the current environment as a turning point for the sector. In a Monday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.galaxy.com/insights/research/prediction-markets-leverage-ai-agents-defi">report</a>, the firm said prediction markets have “entered a new phase of mainstream visibility and capital formation,” citing rapid growth at platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi alongside experimentation by new entrants using alternative market designs.Despite the growth, Galaxy noted ongoing constraints. The firm said liquidity remains a key limitation across prediction markets even as interest expands among retail traders and crypto-native developers. Competition has intensified as platforms pursue higher engagement through short-dated contracts and event-based products.Broader institutional interest has also expanded.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a> has begun rolling out access to event-based contracts, while banks such as Goldman Sachs have publicly explored prediction markets amid evolving U.S. regulation. The developments occurred alongside the January 2026 volume and fee records reported across the sector.Prediction markets are facing growing legal and regulatory pushback globally alongside record trading volumes and fees. U.S. regulators secured a ruling on January 20, 2026, allowing Massachusetts to bar Kalshi from offering sports-related prediction contracts to residents without a state gambling license, with the judge noting state oversight powers even as Kalshi argues the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission should pre-empt local laws. In Europe, authorities in Portugal and Hungary have moved to block access to Polymarket, deeming its markets unlicensed gambling, with Portugal issuing a cease-operations order and Hungary suspending the platform’s domain under national gambling statutes.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Robot drives Polymarket fee engine through rapid short-dated trades

Prediction Markets Post Record $2.7M Weekly Fees as January Volume Nears $11.5B Monthly High

<h2>Equity-Funded Bitcoin Purchase Pressures Shares While Ethereum Holdings Surge Past 4.2 Million ETH</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Strategy disclosed a $2.13 billion Bitcoin purchase on Jan. 20, 2026, lifting holdings to 709,715 BTC as shares fell the same day.</li><li>BlackRock participated in Bitcoin-linked preferred stock tied to Strategy, alongside warnings about a “circular Bitcoin funding loop.”</li><li>BitMine added 35,628 ETH worth about $110 million in one week, pushing total Ethereum holdings to 4,203,036 ETH valued near $13 billion.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Strategy disclosed on Jan. 20, 2026 that it&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltf8d808d9b8cebd37/bltc3f3c9ce5257e06b/696ee1992e942bec27271f03/form-8-k_01-20-2026.pdf">acquired</a> 22,305 bitcoin for approximately $2.13 billion, marking its largest purchase of the year and lifting total holdings to 709,715&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a>. The company said the transaction was financed primarily through equity issuance, raising about $2.125 billion from the sale of company shares. The disclosure confirmed Strategy’s position as the largest corporate holder of bitcoin by a wide margin as of Jan. 20, 2026, according to company filings released that day.Shares of Strategy declined following the announcement, despite the scale of the purchase, as the&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> of bitcoin showed limited immediate reaction. Market data showed the company’s stock moved lower even as the crypto price index tracking major digital assets remained broadly stable. The muted response occurred as the broader coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> absorbed the transaction without a visible spike tied to the $2.13 billion buy.The purchase followed a year in which Strategy repeatedly relied on equity-funded transactions to expand its bitcoin balance. Company disclosures confirmed the 22,305 BTC acquisition was the largest single bitcoin purchase Strategy has reported in 2026. The firm reiterated that proceeds from share sales were directed into bitcoin accumulation, with no change announced to its operating business alongside the transaction.Executive Chairman Michael Saylor confirmed that Strategy had crossed the 700,000 BTC threshold, drawing renewed scrutiny of its funding structure. Analysts described the approach as a “circular&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> funding loop,” referring to the issuance of Bitcoin-linked preferred stock used to finance additional bitcoin purchases. The structure was outlined as part of a broader effort to access capital markets tied directly to bitcoin exposure rather than traditional debt.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.54%;"><img alt="tweet_2013598074652762294_20260121_064135_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2013598074652762294_20260121_064135_via_10015_io_f6a52d6543.webp"></figure>BlackRock participated in Strategy’s Bitcoin-linked preferred stock, according to disclosures. The involvement connected one of the world’s largest asset managers to a security designed to channel bitcoin exposure into income-oriented products. Documentation tied the preferred stock to bitcoin performance while embedding it within conventional capital-market frameworks.While Strategy expanded its bitcoin holdings, BitMine Immersion Technologies reported a sharp increase in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a> accumulation during the same period. On Jan. 20, 2026, BitMine&nbsp;<a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bitmine-immersion-technologies-bmnr-announces-eth-holdings-reach-4-203-million-tokens-and-total-crypto-and-total-cash-holdings-of-14-5-billion-302665064.html?tc=eml_cleartime">disclosed</a> that it purchased 35,268&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">ETH</a> over the previous week, with the acquisition valued at approximately $110 million. The purchase raised BitMine’s total Ethereum holdings to 4,203,036 ETH.BitMine said the expanded Ethereum position carried an estimated value of about $13.5 billion at prevailing crypto price levels. The company confirmed that the week’s purchases represented a continuation of its Ethereum-focused treasury strategy rather than a one-off transaction.The Ethereum accumulation was reported alongside comments from Fundstrat’s Tom Lee, who issued a midterm bearish outlook on crypto markets on Jan. 20, 2026. The caution contrasted with BitMine’s buying activity, which took place as Ethereum prices hovered near recent highs.&nbsp;This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Corporate bitcoin strategy intersects equity markets affecting crypto price dynamics

Strategy Buys 22,305 Bitcoin for $2.13 Billion as ETH Treasury Bets Accelerate at BitMine

<h2>Crypto Windfall Grows as Trump Media Prepares Shareholder Token Distribution</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>The Trump family has added about $1.4 billion in crypto-related assets since Jan. 20, 2025, roughly one-fifth of a $6.8 billion net worth.</li><li>Trump Media &amp; Technology Group shares traded near $14.67 after months of decline, offsetting crypto gains.</li><li>Trump Media set Feb. 2, 2026, as the record date for a shareholder token initiative using Crypto.com infrastructure.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>President Donald Trump and his family accumulated roughly $1.4 billion in crypto-related assets since Jan. 20, 2025, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2026-01-20/donald-trump-family-net-worth-increasingly-comes-from-crypto">Bloomberg figures</a> cited across multiple outlets. The amount accounts for about 20% of the family’s estimated $6.8 billion net worth. Bloomberg said, “The family’s overall net worth looks remarkably similar to last year at $6.8 billion,” adding that gains from crypto were offset by losses elsewhere.Trump Media &amp; Technology Group Corp., the operator of Truth Social, was identified as the main offsetting factor. Its Nasdaq-listed shares, trading under the ticker DJT, were priced around $14.67 at the time of reporting after months of decline. Bloomberg attributed the lack of overall net worth growth to “the plunging value of his social media company, Trump Media &amp; Technology Group Corp.” The stock performance contrasted with gains tied to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> movements tracked by the broader crypto price index and shifts in the coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a>.The bulk of realized crypto proceeds, exceeding $1 billion, were attributed to&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/world-liberty-financial-worldlibertyfinancial-com-wlfi">World Liberty Financial</a>, a decentralized finance project, and the president’s official memecoin. Bloomberg noted that while more than $1 billion has already been realized, remaining digital asset holdings were described as being worth “potentially billions more” on paper. The report added that the family’s expanding exposure has drawn scrutiny from critics and political rivals as crypto price volatility continues to affect valuations.On the same day, Trump Media &amp; Technology Group&nbsp;<a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/01/20/3221734/0/en/Trump-Media-Announces-Record-Date-for-Digital-Token-Initiative.html">announced</a> a formal record date for a previously disclosed digital token initiative. The company said Feb. 2, 2026, will determine which shareholders are eligible to receive the tokens. A press release confirmed the initiative involves “new digital tokens” and added that “various rewards” may be made available to eligible investors in the future.Trump Media stated the planned tokens will not represent equity or ownership in Truth Social or any affiliated company. The firm said the tokens are not expected to be transferable, exchangeable for cash, or distributed to shareholders who are not beneficial owners. The company reiterated that the tokens are designed as a rewards mechanism rather than a financial security tied to crypto price or coin market cap movements.Distribution details show&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/exchange/crypto_com">Crypto.com</a> is expected to mint the tokens and retain custody pending distribution, with the project potentially operating on Crypto.com’s&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/cronos-cro">Cronos</a> blockchain. Trump Media described itself as a fintech-focused company closely associated with the sitting U.S. president, confirming the initiative alongside its core media operations on Jan. 20, 2026, as broader crypto price index data continued to fluctuate across the market.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Robot seals custody vault as coin market cap steadies

Trump Family Adds $1.4 Billion in Crypto Assets as Trump Media Sets Feb. 2 Token Record Date

<h2>Database Migration Error Triggers Mass Liquidations During Jan. 19 Maintenance Window</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Bitcoin briefly printed at $0 on Paradex on Jan. 19, 2026, triggering automated liquidations after a database migration error.</li><li>Paradex rolled back the chain to block 1,604,710, canceling all activity during the affected window.</li><li>The incident occurred amid broader volatility, with $875 million liquidated market-wide in 24 hours and $234 million tied to Bitcoin.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr><a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> briefly traded at $0 on decentralized perpetuals exchange Paradex on Jan. 19, 2026, after a database migration error during scheduled maintenance corrupted internal pricing data. The glitch appeared around 05:02 UTC, with Paradex’s&nbsp;<a href="https://status.paradex.trade/posts/details/PVQ05Y4">status page</a> flagging issues at 12:36 a.m. ET. Prices for Bitcoin,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ether</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a> were affected, causing automated systems to register a zero&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> and immediately trigger&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/understanding-liquidation-crypto-trading-guide">liquidation</a> engines tied to leveraged positions.Liquidations cascaded within minutes as long positions on Bitcoin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/understanding-crypto-perpetual-futures">perpetual</a> contracts were closed at $0.00, while some short positions executed near prevailing market levels around $92,600. Traders initially suspected a display issue before realizing the pricing failure was systemic. The incident unfolded as Bitcoin had already slid from above $95,000 to roughly $92,284, adding stress to an already volatile crypto price index during the maintenance window.Paradex engineers identified the root cause as a database migration error that corrupted price feeds used by trading systems. Roughly three hours after the first reports, Paradex Director of Engineering Clement Ho said on Telegram the platform would roll back the chain to block 1,604,710, the last stable state before maintenance began. The rollback canceled all trades, deposits, withdrawals, liquidations, and funding events executed during the affected period.Platform services were restored after roughly eight hours of downtime, with Paradex stating user funds were safe and warning about impersonator support accounts appearing during the outage. Most open orders were force-canceled, except take-profit and stop-loss orders, as systems were stabilized and markets reopened. Paradex did not disclose the number of affected accounts or the total value liquidated during the incident.Market data prior to the glitch showed Paradex processing nearly $1.6 billion in trading volume the day before the outage, with approximately $225 million in user deposits on the platform. Open interest stood near $652 million over the previous 24 hours, and the exchange ranked among the top decentralized perpetuals venues with more than $37 billion in reported trading volume over the past 30 days, according to industry data.Broader market turbulence amplified the impact. Over the prior 24 hours, total crypto liquidations exceeded $875 million, including about $234 million tied to Bitcoin.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/starknet-token-strk">Starknet</a>’s native token,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/starknet-token-strk">STRK</a>, fell roughly 3.6% following the incident. The episode unfolded as traders tracked shifts across the coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> landscape amid heightened derivatives activity.User reaction surfaced quickly on social media. One trader&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/sniiperrB/status/2013131277851820329">wrote</a>: “Okay, when I posted the screenshot, I thought it was a UI bug. Then I saw on the computer that the price came back after going to $0. Now there are thousands of liquidations. This doesn’t look good for @paradex.” The comment circulated as screenshots of the zero-price print spread across trading channels.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.15%;"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2013131277851820329_20260120_183632_via_10015_io_9d32d68e1d.webp" alt="tweet_2013131277851820329_20260120_183632_via_10015_io.webp"></figure>The rollback approach drew attention within the decentralized finance community, as exchanges built on immutable ledgers rarely revert chain state. Paradex confirmed the rollback was executed to restore account balances to pre-incident conditions, while trading resumed under normal pricing feeds. The disruption occurred as traders monitored shifts in the crypto price index and coin market cap metrics during a volatile January session.Paradex was thrust into fresh scrutiny on January 21, 2026, when it disclosed that one of its third-party integrations, the Mithril trading bot, had been compromised by attackers who accessed approximately 57 user subkeys, according to a Paradex announcement. These subkeys, limited-permission keys that allow bots to execute trades but cannot withdraw funds, were exposed after the attacker gained access to Mithril’s internal systems, prompting Paradex to immediately pause all XP transfers and revoke the affected subkeys. Paradex emphasized that only users who had connected their accounts to the Mithril trading bot were potentially impacted, and that its core exchange infrastructure and custody systems were not breached.&nbsp;The exchange, through an official post on X, <a href="https://x.com/paradex/status/2013819618499141651">warned</a> that “Paradex cannot control or audit how external services store and secure your keys. Before connecting to any third-party service, consider the risks and only grant permissions to platforms you trust.” The bot compromise came just days after the Jan. 19 chain rollback and pricing anomaly, underscoring operational stress on the platform. Paradex has committed to re-enabling XP transfers after internal security checks and has urged users to carefully vet any third-party automation tools.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Bitcoin liquidations accelerate after crypto price malfunction on Paradex

Bitcoin Briefly Trades at $0 on Paradex After Starknet Glitch, Forcing Rollback

<h2>Legacy Exchange Details New Blockchain-Based Market Structure While Crypto Leaders Call Move Bullish</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>NYSE disclosed plans on Jan. 20, 2026, for a standalone tokenized securities platform with 24/7 trading and on-chain settlement.</li><li>The platform is designed to support fractional shares, stablecoin funding, and instant settlement, pending regulatory approval.</li><li>Binance founder Changpeng Zhao said the initiative is “bullish for crypto and crypto exchanges” in comments published Jan. 19, 2026.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>The New York Stock Exchange on Jan. 20, 2026, disclosed plans to develop a tokenized securities trading platform that would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, introducing blockchain-based settlement into U.S. equity markets. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119300589/en/The-New-York-Stock-Exchange-Develops-Tokenized-Securities-Platform">initiative</a> would run as a separate venue from the exchange’s core market while remaining aligned with existing market structure rules and broker-dealer access requirements.The proposed platform would allow tokenized versions of U.S. equities and exchange-traded funds to trade continuously rather than during the traditional 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time window. Settlement would occur on-chain instead of the standard T+1 clearing cycle, enabling near-instant completion of trades using blockchain infrastructure rather than bank wires.According to the report, the tokenized securities would remain fully fungible with traditionally issued shares, carrying the same economic rights, including dividends and shareholder voting. Trading would be accessible through qualified broker-dealers, preserving existing distribution channels while introducing features more commonly associated with crypto markets, including fractional share trading and orders sized by dollar value.The platform is being developed under the umbrella of Intercontinental Exchange, the NYSE’s parent company, which is also working with financial institutions such as BNY Mellon and Citigroup on tokenized deposit and settlement infrastructure. The design includes compatibility with multiple blockchain networks, including&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/ethereum-eth">Ethereum</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/solana-sol">Solana</a>, and would integrate with the NYSE’s existing Pillar matching engine for order execution.Stablecoins are expected to play a role in funding and settlement on the new venue, allowing capital to move outside standard banking hours. The structure would enable trading activity and liquidity management during weekends and holidays, a departure from conventional equity market operations, while regulatory approval remains a prerequisite for launch.Reaction from the crypto industry was swift. Changpeng Zhao, founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/binance">Binance</a>, described the initiative as “bullish for crypto and crypto exchanges.” The remarks came as digital asset markets continued to track movements in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a>, crypto price index data, and overall coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> trends amid increasing institutional involvement.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.59%;"><img src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2013306304463306978_20260120_070502_via_10015_io_208652a5f8.webp" alt="tweet_2013306304463306978_20260120_070502_via_10015_io.webp"></figure>Fintech analyst Simon Taylor characterized the strategy as a parallel-market approach rather than a replacement of existing systems. “Think about what this means: NYSE will run two exchanges. The old one: 9:30–4:00 EST, T+1 settlement, bank wires. The new one: 24/7, instant settlement, stablecoin rails. They’re not choosing between traditional and digital,” Taylor said.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

NYSE robot bridges traditional markets and blockchain-based trading platforms.

NYSE Unveils Tokenized Securities Platform With 24/7 Trading and On-Chain Settlement as Crypto Industry Reacts

<h2>Government Targets Stablecoin Payments, USDC Adoption, and Public-Sector Pilots Across the Island</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Bermuda announced plans on January 19, 2026, to become the world’s first fully onchain national economy with support from Coinbase and Circle.</li><li>The initiative centers on USDC-based payments, government pilots, and nationwide digital finance education.</li><li>The plan builds on Bermuda’s 2018 Digital Asset Business Act and follows a 100 USDC airdrop at the Bermuda Digital Finance Forum 2025.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Bermuda announced on January 19, 2026, that it plans to transform the island into what it describes as a “fully onchain” national economy, partnering with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a> and Circle to deploy digital asset infrastructure across government agencies, financial institutions, businesses, and consumers. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.circle.com/pressroom/the-government-of-bermuda-announces-plans-to-be-the-worlds-first-fully-onchain-national-economy-with-support-from-circle-and-coinbase">announcement</a> was made during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, positioning the initiative within a global policy and financial setting rather than a domestic regulatory update.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:80.37%;"><img alt="tweet_2013320967003779479_20260120_023558_via_10015_io.webp" src="https://prod-coin360-cms.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/tweet_2013320967003779479_20260120_023558_via_10015_io_8db1e39df9.webp"></figure>The government said Coinbase and Circle will provide enterprise-grade digital asset infrastructure and tools to public agencies, local banks, insurers, small and medium-sized businesses, and residents. Both companies will also support nationwide digital finance education and technical onboarding programs as part of the rollout. Officials described an onchain economy as one that uses digital assets as everyday financial infrastructure, rather than limiting blockchain applications to isolated pilots or experimental use cases.Bermuda framed the initiative as a response to structural payment challenges faced by small island economies. Government statements said traditional payment rails are expensive and restrictive for a highly entrepreneurial economy with thousands of local businesses. Being grouped with Caribbean and other island jurisdictions can raise transaction fees and limit access to onshore payment processors and fiat banking services, creating pressure on already thin merchant margins.Stablecoins were identified as the operational core of the plan, with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> positioned as the primary payment instrument. According to the announcement, USDC allows merchants to accept fast, low-cost, dollar-denominated payments while meeting compliance requirements. Officials said there are already several live examples of USDC payments operating in the Bermudian market, enabling local transactions through digital wallets in commercial settings.Government agencies are expected to begin piloting stablecoin-based payments as part of the initiative, while financial institutions will integrate tokenization tools into their operations. Residents are also slated to participate in nationwide digital literacy programs designed to support adoption of onchain payments and services. The government said these efforts are intended to lay the foundation for broad-based participation across the economy.The plan builds on Bermuda’s regulatory framework established in 2018, when the country introduced the Digital Asset Business Act, described by officials as one of the first comprehensive digital asset regulatory regimes. Coinbase and Circle were among the first global firms licensed under that framework, and Coinbase currently operates derivatives offerings outside the U.S. through a Bermuda-based platform.Momentum for the initiative increased at the Bermuda Digital Finance Forum 2025, held in May 2025, where the government, Coinbase, and Circle executed an onchain airdrop of 100 USDC to every attendee. The funds were intended for use with newly onboarded local merchants. Following the event, additional Bermudian businesses began accepting digital payments, and local financial institutions expanded their use of&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a> and tokenized finance.Further expansion is planned at the Bermuda Digital Finance Forum 2026, scheduled for May 11–14, 2026. Organizers said the event will include broader business participation, a larger consumer stimulus than prior efforts, and deeper engagement across the financial services sector, building on the initial USDC distribution and merchant onboarding.Premier E. David Burt said the initiative is aimed at reducing costs and expanding access to modern financial infrastructure. “This initiative is about creating opportunity, lowering costs, and ensuring Bermudians benefit from the future of finance,” Burt said in a statement. He also described Bermuda’s approach as a collaborative model between government, regulators, and industry designed to enable responsible innovation at a national scale.Circle Co-Founder and CEO Jeremy Allaire said Bermuda’s regulatory approach has positioned it as a global reference point for blockchain adoption. “Bermuda has been a global pioneer in digital asset regulation and continues to demonstrate what responsible blockchain innovation looks like at a national scale,” Allaire said. “We are proud to deepen our engagement as Bermuda empowers people and businesses with USDC and onchain infrastructure.”Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong linked the initiative to the role of clear regulatory frameworks in enabling adoption. “Coinbase has long believed that open financial systems can drive economic freedom,” Armstrong said. “Bermuda’s leadership shows what’s possible when clear rules are paired with strong public-private collaboration. We are excited to support Bermuda’s transition toward an onchain economy that empowers local businesses, consumers, and institutions.”The government said the transition to an onchain economy is expected to lower transaction costs, increase access to global finance through digital wallets, and keep economic value circulating locally. Officials also noted that the initiative operates independently of fluctuations in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a>, crypto price index movements, or coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> dynamics, focusing instead on payment infrastructure and financial services integration at the national level.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Bermuda deploys USDC infrastructure as national onchain economy foundation

Bermuda Unveils Plan to Build a Fully Onchain National Economy With Coinbase and Circle at Davos

Coin360 Weekly Dispatch | Crypto Market Updates & Highlights | January 11 - 17, 2026

TL;DR<ul><li>Political and regulatory pressure is increasingly shaping monetary and market outcomes, exposing structural fragility in traditional financial governance.</li><li>Regulatory uncertainty and enforcement-heavy approaches are fragmenting crypto access globally rather than eliminating usage.</li><li>In economies facing capital controls or currency instability, crypto adoption continues to grow as a practical financial alternative, not a speculative one.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>This week wasn’t loud, but it was consequential. Power struggles, regulatory friction, and currency stress all surfaced at once, revealing where the traditional system bends—and where crypto quietly fills the gaps. Less spectacle, more signal. If you’re tracking adoption, this was a week worth studying.<h2>Powell Warns DOJ Probe Threatens Fed's Independence Amid Pressure to Cut Rates</h2>Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell addressed serious concerns regarding the Trump administration's influence on the Fed, particularly following the Department of Justice's grand jury subpoenas related to his congressional testimony on a headquarters renovation. Powell indicated that these actions reflect an attempt to pressure the Fed into cutting interest rates, raising alarms about the independence of the central bank. He emphasized the danger of political intimidation affecting economic decisions, suggesting such pressures undermine regulatory stability, especially for sensitive markets like cryptocurrency. This incident marks a critical point in maintaining the integrity of monetary policy amidst political pressures.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Senate Crypto Bill Stalls After Coinbase Withdrawal and Industry Backlash</h2>The U.S. Senate's crypto market&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/news/us-senate-crypto-market-structure-bill-stalls-coinbase-withdraws">structure bill</a> stalled in January 2026 after&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/coinbase">Coinbase</a> withdrew support amid backlash over amendments regarding developer liability, stablecoin rewards, and surveillance powers. Over 130 amendments were proposed, complicating the bill’s implementation, which could require about 45 separate rulemakings and extend for years. Inter-committee disputes and concerns from decentralized finance groups further delayed progress. Galaxy CEO Michael Novogratz urged lawmakers to advance the legislation despite these issues. A key focus remains on protecting noncustodial developers, while the Senate Banking Committee postponed the markup indefinitely as discussions with industry representatives continue.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Belarus Legalizes State-Regulated Cryptobanks with Decree No. 19</h2>On January 16, 2026, Belarus enacted <a href="https://coin360.com/news/belarus-legalizes-cryptobanks-decree-19">Decree No. 19</a>, establishing a legal framework for state-regulated cryptobanks, which must be joint-stock companies, High-Tech Park residents, and registered with the National Bank. This decree integrates digital asset services into the national banking system, requiring dual oversight from both the central bank and High-Tech Park authorities. Cryptobanks can offer hybrid financial products that blend traditional banking with token transactions, adhering to existing financial compliance regulations. This initiative reinforces Belarus's commitment to supervised crypto services, creating entry barriers for unlicensed platforms and aligning with global trends in crypto regulation.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Google Play to Block Unregistered Overseas Crypto Exchanges in South Korea Starting January 28</h2>Starting January 28, 2026, Google Play Store will block unregistered overseas crypto exchanges and wallets in South Korea, mandating that all platforms register as Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) with the Korea Financial Intelligence Unit. This ban will restrict global exchanges like&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/binance">Binance</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/bybit">Bybit</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/review/okx">OKX</a>, while favoring 27 local platforms, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/exchange/upbit">Upbit</a> and Bithumb. Compliance challenges arise due to the stringent local security and anti-money laundering (AML) certifications required from foreign firms. Although users may still access these exchanges via web browsers, this could drive them toward VPNs and APK downloads, heightening security risks.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Russia Moves to Normalize Cryptocurrencies by Exempting Them from Financial Regulations</h2>Russia is advancing legislation to integrate cryptocurrencies into everyday life by exempting them from existing financial regulations, as outlined by Anatoly Aksakov, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Financial Markets. The drafted bill aims to normalize digital currency use among citizens, with significant legislative focus on cryptocurrencies slated for the State Duma's spring session. This development reflects a growing rift between lawmakers and the Central Bank of Russia, which has expressed concerns about allowing unqualified investors access to digital assets. Russia’s approach has been cautious, balancing limited permissions against strict regulatory controls.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>Iran’s Crypto Surge: $7.8B Ecosystem Fueled by IRGC, Bitcoin Exodus Amid 90% Rial Collapse</h2>Amid Iran’s soaring inflation (40–50%) and a 90% collapse of the rial since 2018, crypto usage has surged, with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> withdrawals to personal wallets rising sharply, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.chainalysis.com/blog/iranian-crypto-activity-geopolitical-tensions-2026/">Chainalysis</a>. Iran’s crypto ecosystem hit $7.78B in 2025, driven by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which accounted for 50%+ of on-chain value in Q4. IRGC-linked flows hit $620M in 2024 and $410M in 2025. Events like the Jan 2024 Kerman bombing and June 2025 war triggered spikes in IRGC crypto activity. UK exchanges Zedcex/Zedxion quietly processed $1B for the IRGC, tied to sanctions-evader Babak Zanjani.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>China's mBridge Platform Reaches $55.5 Billion in Cross-Border Transactions Amid U.S. CBDC Ban by Trump</h2>The mBridge platform, led by China and central banks from Asian countries, has seen a remarkable surge in cross-border transactions,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/econographics/what-to-watch-as-china-prepares-its-digital-yuan-for-prime-time/">reaching</a> $55.5 billion from over 4,000 transactions, reflecting a staggering 2,500-fold increase since 2022. The digital yuan (e-CNY) accounts for 95% of this volume, marking it as the world's largest central bank digital currency project. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has banned CBDCs through an executive order, citing privacy risks, while endorsing privately issued&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">stablecoins</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/stablecoin">Stablecoin</a> market interest has grown, with&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/tether-usdt">Tether</a>’s&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/tether-usdt">USDT</a> and Circle’s&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/usd-coin-usdc">USDC</a> leading the sector, which reached a total&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> of $310.117 billion.<div class="page-break" style="page-break-after:always;">&nbsp;</div><h2>The Bigger Picture</h2>Across markets, trust in centralized control keeps eroding while capital keeps adapting. Political interference weakens policy credibility. Regulatory gridlock slows innovation but doesn’t stop it—it just reroutes it. Capital controls and currency decay push users on-chain by necessity, not ideology. The endgame isn’t mass hype; it’s normalization. Crypto is becoming financial infrastructure of last resort—and eventually, first choice.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Central bank pressure exposes crypto regulation fragility in modern finance

Weekly roundup: Politics, Power Plays, and the Global Rewiring of Crypto

<h2>Christopher Wood Removes BTC From Model Portfolio Over Cryptographic Risk Concerns</h2>TL;DR<ul><li>Jefferies strategist Christopher Wood removed Bitcoin entirely from his Greed &amp; Fear portfolio in January 2026 after holding it since late 2020.</li><li>The exit followed warnings that quantum computing could break Bitcoin’s cryptography, potentially affecting about 30% of circulating BTC.</li><li>The former 10% Bitcoin allocation was reassigned to physical gold and gold-mining equities.</li></ul><hr>We’ve launched the all-new COIN360 Perp DEX, built for traders who move fast!Trade 130+ assets with up to 100× leverage, enjoy instant order placement and low-slippage swaps, and earn USDC passive yield while climbing the leaderboard. Your trades deserve more than speed — they deserve mastery.<div class="raw-html-embed"><div style="box-sizing: inherit; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: white; display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: center;"><a href="https://dex.coin360.com/" ref="noopener nofollow noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: white; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: #4CAF50; padding: 5px 30px; text-align: center; font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 2px; border-radius: 5px;">Start Trading on COIN360 Today!</a></div></div><hr>Christopher Wood, the longtime macro strategist behind Jefferies’ Greed &amp; Fear model portfolio, has cut&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">Bitcoin</a> out of his asset allocation, ending a position first introduced in late 2020 and expanded to 10% in 2021. The decision was&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-16/mr-greed-and-fear-drops-bitcoin-btc-for-gold-on-quantum-threat">disclosed</a> in the latest edition of the Greed &amp; Fear newsletter and reported on January 16–17, 2026, according to multiple outlets covering the move.Wood’s removal of Bitcoin brought his&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/bitcoin-btc">BTC</a> exposure from 10% to zero, with the capital redeployed into traditional safe-haven assets. The strategist reassigned the former allocation into physical gold and gold-mining equities, splitting the exposure into approximately 5% gold and 5% gold miners, based on reporting tied to the newsletter update dated January 2026.The strategist said the primary driver behind the exit was growing concern that advances in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/quantum-computing">quantum computing</a> could undermine Bitcoin’s cryptographic foundations. Wood warned that quantum computers capable of breaking elliptic-curve cryptography may arrive sooner than previously expected, stating that “cryptographically relevant” machines could emerge in a matter of years rather than decades.Bitcoin’s security relies on public-key cryptography to protect private keys and validate transactions, a structure that Wood said could be compromised if quantum machines can derive private keys from exposed public keys. Such a scenario, he argued, would challenge Bitcoin’s role as a long-term store of value, particularly for institutional portfolios with extended investment horizons.Reporting highlighted estimates that roughly 30% of the circulating Bitcoin supply, equivalent to about 6.5 million BTC, sits in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/address">address</a> formats that already expose public keys on-chain. These include legacy Pay-to-PubKey outputs and certain Taproot-related structures that could be theoretically vulnerable in a quantum attack scenario, according to figures cited in coverage of Wood’s decision.Wood had previously described Bitcoin as a hedge against monetary debasement and an alternative to gold during the pandemic-era stimulus cycle. That rationale underpinned his decision to add BTC to the Greed &amp; Fear portfolio in late 2020, a period marked by sharp moves in&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/">crypto price</a> metrics and rising attention to the coin&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/glossary/market-capitalization">market cap</a> of major digital assets.The exit comes as quantum computing risks increasingly appear in institutional disclosures. Asset managers including BlackRock have referenced quantum threats in Bitcoin-related prospectuses, while&nbsp;<a href="https://coin360.com/coin/tether-usdt">Tether</a> CEO Paolo Ardoino has warned publicly that dormant wallets could be exposed if cryptographic standards are broken.Debate over the severity and timing of quantum risk remains active within the crypto industry. Castle Island Ventures partner Nic Carter said “capital is concerned and looking for a solution,” while Blockstream CEO Adam Back has argued that the threat horizon may still be 20 to 40 years away and that protocol upgrades could mitigate risks before any practical attack.Broader market context shows Bitcoin continuing to trade as a major component of the crypto price index, with its crypto price and coin market cap remaining central reference points for digital asset investors despite the strategist’s exit. Wood’s decision, detailed in January 2026 reporting, marked a full reversal of a position held for roughly four years.This article has been refined and enhanced by ChatGPT.

Jefferies robot reallocates assets as crypto price index exposure shifts